Roof truss



C. R. SPINK Jan. 21, 1930.

ROOF TRUSS Filed Marph 17. 1926 3140044 0'6 G [KS 12in];

Quorum;

Patented Jan. 21, 1936 UNITED STATES {PATENT OFFICE ROOF TRUSS Application filed March 17, 1926.

This invention relates to the construction of roof trusses, and particularly to means for connecting various parts of a truss, which is made partly or wholly of wood, as, for example, the connections between the strut 1nembers and the upper or lower chord.

The object of the invention is to provide connecting elements which may be economically produced, and which constitute effective and reliable means for building up a truss of strong and durable construction, while permitting the upper chord to be built up in a solid laminated piece, and requiring a minimum amount of labor and expense for the entire construction.

The detailed construction of the invention:

and the advantages resulting therefrom will be more fully explained in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which 29 Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete truss.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the same on an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the connecting elements.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional View illustrating the use of the connecting element shown in Figure 4 in connecting the struts to the lower chord.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of connecting element which may be cut from a fragment of an I-beam.

In the construction as herein shown, the truss includes an upper chord 10, made up of laminae secured together by bolts 11, a lower chord 12 and struts 13. As shown in Figure 2, the struts are secured to the lower chord by flat plates 14, each plate being secured in the lower chord by staggered bolts 15, and secured in kerfs 16 formed in the lower ends of the struts by bolts 17. Each of the connecting elements between the struts and the upper 5 chord is made from a flat plate 18, which, as shown in Figure 1, is slit at one end, as shown at 19, and bent in opposite directions to form wings or base flanges 20 and 21, respectively. These connecting elements 18 are secured to the underside of the upper chord 10 by bolts Serial No. 95,335.

22, which pass through the flanges 20 and 21 respectively, and also assist in binding together the laminae of the upper chord. The downwardly projecting portion of the connecting element 18 is secured in kerfs 23, formed in the upper ends of the respective struts, by suitable bolts 24.

All of the connecting elements 18 are of substantially the same size and shape, except that the last one nearest the end of the chord may be made smaller, as shown at 18 and only one strut is connected thereto. The ends of the upper chord 10 are anchored in heel plates 30, the details of which need not be de scribed here, since they form no part of the present invention.

Instead of using flat plates 14 at the lower ends of the struts, similar connecting elements 18 may be used, as-shown in Figure 5, and may be secured to the struts and lower chord by bolts 17 and 25, respectively.

Instead of using the connecting elements 18 formed from flat plates, small pieces of I- beams may be utilized for this purpose, as illustrated in Figure 6. According to this method, the piece of I-beam is cut into two equal parts along the line 26. Each of the pieces 27 and 28 may then be'used in place of one of the connecting elements 18.

The above described method of forming the connections between the struts and chords is most economical, and a great deal of labor is saved in fabricating the truss, since there is practically no cutting in framing the top chord. It also gives the maximum shear value in the strut members from the point where the bolts 17 or 24k pass through them to the end of the strut. Bolts 22 secure the struts to the upper chord and pass through the chord and the corresponding holes in the flanges 20 and 21 in staggered relation, and also serve to secure the laminae of the upper chord.

It is obvious that small steel angle struts may be substituted for the wooden struts 13, thus making a very strong, light and neat appearing truss at a comparatively small cost. It is also apparent that the invention may be used in making trusses for other purposes, or for connecting the parts of other structures without any material departure from the salient features of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

A fabricated truss comprising, in combination, upper and lower wooden chords; connecting members on the upper chords including downwardly projecting plates having flanges secured to the bottom of the chords; upwardly projecting plates secured to the lower chords; and wooden struts having end kerfs to receive said plates adapted to be bolted to said plates, the ends of some of said struts abutting each other and abutting one of the chords.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature.

CHARLES R. SPINK. 

